10+ Personal Hygiene Mistakes That Are Getting on Everyone’s Nerves

The truth is, simple habits such as taking crazy hot showers, not wearing socks, or even not regularly changing your razor blade can lead to serious health problems and social consequences. And the fact that some people still have these habits knowing the risks is enough to drive anyone nuts.

Bright Side hascollected a few common personal hygiene mistakes that should be stopped as soon as possible.

1. Flushing with your feet

Ok, we get it: public bathrooms can be really dirty and full of bacteria. But flushing the toilet with your foot is not the solution to being germ-free. In fact, this act actually contaminates the flush even more since you’re using the same feet that were just walking on the dirty bathroom floor. The solution would be to flush the toilet with your hands and wash them afterward.

2. Wearing shoes without socks

Wearing shoes without socks may look nice, but the smell that it causes is not pretty at all. Doctors actually prescribe wearing socks to avoid getting stinky feet because they can absorb sweat and reduce odor. But don’t worry, there are plenty of “invisible” socks available out there.

3. Only brushing your teeth

Only brushing your teeth, as most people do, is not the best way to get fresh breath. The correct way to protect yourself (and the people around you) from having bad breath is to brush the tongue and to use floss or an interdental cleaner twice a day and wash your mouth out with an antibacterial mouthwash.

4. Confuse deodorant with antiperspirant

Deodorant and antiperspirant are not the same and confusing them can cause stinky armpits. While deodorants control odor, antiperspirants block sweat. In fact, using both at the same time is the best way to stop sweaty and stinky armpits.

5. Failing to clean the ears

We know that cleaning the ear canal is not recommended, but some people take this advice way too seriously and don’t clean their ears in any way — and no one wants to see people’s dirty ears. To solve this problem, use Q-Tips on the outside of the ear or even better, clean the area with a warm, damp washcloth.

6. Not having a regular shower schedule

There’s nothing worse than entering a public space with some serious body odor in the air. While the right amount of showers can differ from one person to another, it’s recommended to take anywhere from 2 to 3 showers a week, even when it’s winter. But if you sweat, work outside, or are exposed to chemicals daily, the recommendation increases to one shower a day.

7. Not cleaning a water bottle after using it

There’s always that one person who keeps using the same dirty water bottle over and over again which is a disgusting and dangerous habit. Sure, we should all stay hydrated, but we should also clean our water bottles every time we use them. In fact, drinking from refillable bottles of water can be many times worse than licking your dog’s chew toy. Ew!

8. Forgetting to clean under the nails

There’s nothing worse than noticing how dirty some people’s hands are, especially when they offer to shake yours. This happens because some people think that washing their hands is equal to washing their nails, but it’s not. According to specialists, everyone should scrub the underside of their nails with soap and water (or a nail brush) every time they wash their hands to truly get rid of dirt and germs.

9. Never replacing their razor blades

If you live with someone, this habit may drive you nuts (and disgust you). Disposable razor blades have this name for a reason. You don’t have to replace the razor after only 3 uses, but using the same one for months and months is definitively not recommended. The correct way to use it is by replacing it as soon as you see any signs of rusting, dulling, hair-tugging, or if it starts to nick your skin.

10. Taking super hot showers

There’s nothing worse than having your towel soaking wet all the time, especially when it’s because of someone else’s hot shower. Hot showers make everything in the bathroom steamy (helping to create mold and mildew). And even worse, it dries out and irritates your skin, helping to increase your blood pressure.

11. Not cleaning everyday objects

This personal hygiene mistake is largely responsible for the spreading of germs and bacteria. It doesn’t matter how often people clean their houses, the truth is that many people have never cleaned their cellphones, laptops, door handles, or keys even though these objects are a breeding den for germs and bacteria. The good news is that all of these objects can be easily cleaned with a bit of rubbing alcohol.

12. Not covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing

Surprisingly, approximately 1 out of every 4 people don’t cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing. The importance of this simple yet ignored habit is to prevent germs from spreading everywhere and contaminating the air people around you are breathing.

13. Disposing of feminine hygiene products the wrong way

The only thing that can be properly flushed down the toilet is toilet paper. Tampons and pads, when flushed, can clog the draining system, often causing serious damage to your toilet. The recommended way to dispose of tampons is to wrap them in toilet paper and put them in the trash.

14. Wearing outside shoes inside the house

Some people use their outdoor shoes inside the house but have no idea how dirty this habit is. Studies reveal that the average shoe contains 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside and 2,887 on the interior.

15. Not closing the toilet lid during flushing

Maybe people like to watch their excrement flush away, but this habit can be really dangerous and disgusting. Millions of feces’ particles are floating around during flushing which means that they could land anywhere including your toothbrush and hand towel.

Which one of these filthy habits are you guilty of doing? Or do you know anyone who does one or more of these things?